Natural attraction

Cape Girardeau welcomed a new attraction to the region this weekend with the opening Saturday of the Missouri Department of Conservation's nature center.

The nature center at the Cape County Park North will offer visitors an educational experience as they learn about Missouri's wildlife and natural environments. Its exhibits should hold the interest of both children and adults alike

In an age when video games and flashing screens seem to be the only thing that keep young people's attention, the nature center invites them to touch a snake, see a snapping turtle or splash in the water from a lake.

The $4.7 million facility was open for student tours last week in anticipation of its public opening and seemed well received judging by the "oohs" and "ahhs."

The children and their teachers enjoyed the hands-on learning experiences of the center's multiple information stations. Some showed what sort of wildlife Missourians once trapped and killed for food; others demonstrated how to use a buck call. There was even a chance to crawl through a manmade beaver dam. Of course, the water snake and alligator snapping turtle are likely to remain popular with all ages.

The nature center will help boost conservation education in the region and bring visitors to the area.